Dear New Rochelle community,
We are horrified to have learned about a vicious act of racism in the District perpetrated on social media, involving the vilest of ethnic slurs and invective.
This type of hurtful, destructive behavior is reprehensible and is certainly unacceptable anywhere in the City School District of New Rochelle. We are investigating this incident and will take the most severe action possible in response.
It appears that the writer of the comments is not an actual New Rochelle student but is using a false name. It is also unclear whether the target of the comments is an actual person or is fictitious. These are matters that our investigation will seek to uncover. No matter the outcome, however, the message, obviously meant to be widely seen, is heinous. We condemn it in the strongest terms.
Every act of hatred and tolerance must be denounced in the strongest terms. This shameful incident compounds and brings closer to home the anger, pain and frustration that we in New Rochelle, and communities around the world, are experiencing from the recent murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
In response to that horrific act, and the deep feelings it has stirred in New Rochelle, we are holding Healing Circles for middle and high school students all week, facilitated by social workers and teachers equipped to help students process these traumatic events.
The CSDNR will also host a Community Healing Circle in which members of the community can come together and share their thoughts, fears and concerns as they relate to matters of racism and George Floyd’s murder. The conversation will be facilitated on June 5, 2020 at 6 p.m. by David Peters, a professional with experience navigating these very difficult racial issues. It will take place at this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88263852235
.
I urge you to join. Also, if you are experiencing any difficulty as a result of these incidents, please feel free to call our hotline
(
914) 336-7800
.
New Rochelle is a wonderful community where we build on the strength of our diversity and we appreciate the many gifts contributed by residents of all backgrounds and ethnicities. We will not allow any incident of hate to dampen our spirits. We continue to stand together.
In partnership,
